PMC News: Street-Sweeping Contractors Penalised, Road Works Speed Up Across Pune
PUNE: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has stepped up action on multiple civic fronts this week, from penalising negligent street-sweeping contractors to fast-tracking road infrastructure projects and preparing for the festive season. Here is your complete PMC News roundup.
PMC News: Street-Sweeping Contractors Face Penalties
The PMC has issued show-cause notices to four private street-sweeping contractors and imposed penalties for lapses in maintaining cleanliness across the city. The action, initiated by the civic body’s Solid Waste Management Department, is among the first major moves to hold contractors directly accountable for poor performance.
The PMC issued show-cause notices between September 1 and 4 to contractors handling work in major ward clusters, including Sinhagad Road, Hadapsar, Yerawada and Dhayari. The contractor responsible for mechanical sweeping has also come under scrutiny.
Under the revised accountability system, contractors are now directly responsible for sweeping quality and can face a penalty of ₹5,000 for every violation. The PMC spends around ₹200 crore annually on street sanitation across its 15 ward offices.
PMC News: Road Works Speed Up in Yerawada
Pune municipal commissioner Naval Kishore Ram on Saturday reviewed development works in the Yerawada ward office area. The review covered road development, missing links, land acquisition, road repairs, cleanliness and other key infrastructure projects.
During the inspection, Ram visited the Nala Garden in Wagholi and directed officials to explore similar green and recreational spaces on available civic land. “Such spaces can serve as the ‘lungs of the city’ and play an important role in maintaining the environmental balance,” Ram said.
Officials were directed to expedite land acquisition for major road and infrastructure projects. Repairs on major roads in the area have been taken up on priority, with plans to complete them within the next 15 days.
PMC News: Katraj-Kondhwa Road Repairs Under Scrutiny
Pune Mayor Manjusha Nagpure sought a detailed clarification from the PMC administration on road construction, repair funding and infrastructure needs after civic members raised the death of a 16-year-old girl in an accident on the Katraj-Kondhwa road.
The mayor asked how much funding would be required to provide roads, footpaths and other essential facilities in the newly merged villages. The administration’s response, however, did not directly address the four specific points listed by the mayor, according to reports.
The discussion placed the Katraj-Kondhwa road within a wider civic debate over the pace of road repairs and the availability of funds for infrastructure in areas added to the municipal limits.
PMC News: Ganeshotsav Preparations in Full Swing
The PMC has deployed additional personnel for garbage collection across all 15 wards during Ganeshotsav. For the city’s central areas, where footfall increases significantly during the 10 days, 100 additional staffers will be on duty to clear waste.
Cleanliness staff will work in two shifts, additional vehicles will be deployed to transport collected waste, and temporary vendors must provide dustbins. CCTV surveillance systems are being installed at key chowks and immersion ghats. Ninety lifeguards will be placed at 15 such ghats, and plans to set up 45 idol and nirmalya collection centres are underway.
PMC News: Water Supply Faces Pressure Issues
Residents in more than half of the city did not receive water at adequate pressure just two days before Ganeshotsav following a daylong closure on Thursday. Water pumping was shut at more than 10 overhead tanks to facilitate repairs at major water supply units.
Officials from PMC’s water supply department said steps had been taken to improve water distribution, especially after daylong closures. “We have installed booster pumps and replaced old valves. The upgradation has been under way on a continuous basis,” said Nandkishor Jagtap, head of PMC’s water supply department.
PMC News: Action Against Bogus Doctors
The PMC has filed FIRs against two persons in Kharadi and Warje Malwadi for allegedly practising medicine without qualifications or registration. The action was taken following inspection and complaints received by the civic body’s ‘Anti-Bogus Doctors Findings and Action Committee’.
“People practising medicine without the required qualification and registration puts patients at risk. Such cases need strict action to prevent patients from being misled,” said Dr Rajesh Dighe, assistant health officer and head of the committee.
PMC News: HCMT Road Project Faces Citizen Opposition
Citizens opposing Pune’s proposed High Capacity Mass Transit Route (HCMTMR) have asked the PMC to disclose the project’s detailed plan, citing concerns about its design, traffic effects, environmental impact and possible implications for heritage sites.
The HCMTMR Citizens Action Committee raised the objections during a meeting with Pune Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram. The committee demanded a detailed discussion between the civic administration and citizens so that questions about the project can be addressed.
PMC News: Staffing Shortage Hits 43%
A fresh assessment of the PMC’s staffing situation has revealed 6,903 vacancies across Class I to Class IV posts. Of the 15,940 sanctioned posts, only 9,037 are currently filled, leaving nearly 43 per cent of the sanctioned workforce vacant.
The shortage has forced the civic administration to rely on temporary staff and additional responsibilities being assigned to existing employees. Around 13,000 to 14,000 workers are engaged through contractors for sanitation, clerical and other services across various departments.
PMC News: Aundh Road Model to Be Replicated
The PMC plans to develop at least one smart-design road in each of the villages merged with it, drawing on the Aundh DP Road street design project that received national recognition. The case study on the project was published in the September 2026 issue of Indian Highways, the technical journal of the Indian Roads Congress.
“Similar roads will be developed in each of the merged villages, with at least one such road planned in every village,” said PMC city engineer Aniruddha Pawaskar.
Stay tuned to PuneTV for more PMC News and civic updates.
Image credit: “City Hall, Pune” by Kruti92, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
